An Explanation
God’s revelation to man is simple to comprehend, however, due to our sinful nature and opinionated personalities and corrupt characters, we make His revelation to be increasingly difficult to comprehend. Yet here’s the remedy. God is faithful to give wisdom to those who lack it, to give knowledge to those who seek it and to give understanding to those who will listen. With that said, I now invite you Into My HEART…
A mother to a future king is speaking here:
This is in reference to a question I was asked last night (being March 3, 2015) and I paraphrase it: How do we properly respond to someone who says you’re not to add or subtract from the “Word of God?” This question came from reading the opinion of one man who was known as a man of God in his time.
But before we get to an explanation let me ask you this. Have you heard or read this saying before? I will paraphrase it as I heard or read it once some time ago: If you had an audience with the King of kings, being God Himself, and you had but a moment with Him, what would you do, what would you say, what would you ask?
Beloved, there’s many things that can race through our minds concerning the above question. However, there’s only one reasonable response to that, that is most profitable. That is to listen.
I am not one to speak out to many and I am not one for debates, arguments, etc… when it comes to God’s Word and the holy scriptures. I leave that to more capable and willing individuals. What I am, is one who by the grace of God reveals mysteries; expounds on divine revelation for the purposes of knowing and coming to know the heavenly Father, the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit on a personal, intimate and powerful level. In short, what I am divinely inspired to write according to what I hear from God, is what I faithfully and accurately record down.
A verse that is easily misunderstood and taken to such a literal height, the reader often takes the words out of the authors mouths if presented in any verb, adjective, noun or syllable different from the spoken words of Jesus, as having removed and added to it, is found in the Book of Revelation. This is wrong thinking, however for all of us including myself, God is faithful to make the foolish prudent in His ways if only they would ask believing they have received what they asked for. And we ought to ask and ask and ask for wisdom, knowledge and understanding of the High Holy One. Amen.
JESUS IS SPEAKING BELOW
“For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.”
(Revelation 22:18-19)
What Jesus was giving was a stern warning and quite the frightening warning at that! It was a warning not to mislead, persuade or cause anyone to sway away from His message. If such a one would take it upon themselves to do so, such travesties would befall them. As He stated first here, “But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea. “What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting!” (Matthew 18:6-7)
Let us now continue to the explanation at hand since a firm foundation has been established. I pray you gain wisdom, knowledge and understanding and the Lord make it so. Amen. Read on and receive the blessing.
The special messenger of God, Paul of Tarsus, speaks here:
I say this as a concession [to make or state a point that can be highly beneficial], not as a command. But I wish everyone were single, just as I am. Yet each person has a special gift from God, of one kind or another [whether it be to endure singleness and the life of celibacy that comes along with it or marriage and the fruits that it bears]. So I say to those who aren’t married and to widows—it’s better to stay unmarried, just as I am. But if they can’t control themselves, they should go ahead and marry. It’s better to marry than to burn with lust.
I want you to be free from the concerns of this life. An unmarried man can spend his time doing the Lord’s work and thinking how to please him. But a married man has to think about his earthly responsibilities and how to please his wife.
His interests are divided. In the same way, a woman who is no longer married or has never been married can be devoted to the Lord and holy in body and in spirit. But a married woman has to think about her earthly responsibilities and how to please her husband.
I am saying this for your benefit, not to place restrictions on you. I want you to do whatever will help you serve the Lord best, with as few distractions as possible.
But if a man thinks that he’s treating his fiancée improperly and will inevitably give in to his passion, let him marry her as he wishes. It is not a sin.
But if he has decided firmly not to marry and there is no urgency and he can control his passion, he does well not to marry.
So the person who marries his fiancée does well, and the person who doesn’t marry does even better.
But in my opinion it would be better for her to stay single, and I think I am giving you counsel from God’s Spirit when I say this. (1 Corinthians 7:6-9, 32-38, 40 NLT emphasis added by me in brackets and in italics)
Through such things as recorded and stated above we can all come to see quite clearly and understand quite simply that Paul was in no way deterring, persuading, contradicting or misleading any of what the Lord would have commanded or spoken in an accurate and advisable way. In fact, Paul is in direct harmony and order with the Lord, as Paul acknowledges the benefits of marriage and how grand they are, however, he also speaks from personal experience of the advantages to remaining single if indeed you can commit to it.
Now I, Flavio Anthony Lugo, want to add something here having been given wisdom, knowledge and understanding from the Lord. Thank you Jesus! You may call it a concession as well. For it is to your benefit to comprehend such things as I do now. Thanks be to God! There are those who may very well be called by God to remain single all the days of their lives and this is praise worthy as they in Christ, can give themselves without division [being in a marriage having to serve your spouse as well as the Lord] or distraction [chasing the opposite sex around as your flesh burns with lust as opposed to given yourself fully] to the Lord; that is, remaining holy unto the Lord and His glorious work. There are those who are called to marriage and to experience the benefits of marriage. Being given the grace to share a life with another other than the Lord, while keeping the Lord priority even within the confines of holy matrimony. This too, is praise worthy.
Now there are those who will choose, of their own accord to remain single or to get married for various reasons that are personal to them, and this too is quite the blessing and praise worthy. Whether chosen by God or chosen by us, singleness and marriage are equally a playing field to experience the love, grace and mercy of God and no one who is in Christ and chooses either manner of living is in no way in direct conflict with the commands of God and His revelation to us.
We would all do well, to embrace His calling upon our lives and where it calls for it, to make our own choice in seeking Him out more, to be that of a blessing and not a curse. To be in His will and not against it. To be in harmony and order with the Lord, that is, in hand and in step with Him. Yes, whatever it be that has been chosen remain faithful to it and faithful to the Lord.
The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” (Genesis 2:18 NIV)
Hear counsel, receive instruction, and accept correction, that you may be wise in the time to come. (Proverbs 19:20)
A king is speaking here:
- A virtuous and worthy wife [earnest and strong in character] is a crowning joy to her husband...(Proverbs 12:4)
- The man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the Lord. (Proverbs 18:22)
- House and riches are the inheritance from fathers, but a wise, understanding, and prudent wife is from the Lord. [Prov. 18:22.] (Proverbs 19:14)
- A capable, intelligent, and virtuous woman–who is he who can find her? She is far more precious than jewels and her value is far above rubies or pearls. [Prov. 12:4; 18:22; 19:14.] (Proverbs 31:10)
The words below are in harmony and order with the words in Revelation above:
Here we see men who followed Jesus showing their limited understanding in their reasoning to the Lord and the Lord revealing His glorious wisdom in response to them. Jesus knows all too well the benefits of marriage and singleness as He created both unions to be in direct harmony to Him. He speaks to men what is right, just and good. Receive His Word and may you increase in wisdom, knowledge and understanding. Amen.
The disciples said to Him, If the case of a man with his wife is like this, it is neither profitable nor advisable to marry.
But He said to them, Not all men can accept this saying, but it is for those to whom [the capacity to receive] it has been given. For there are eunuchs who have been born incapable of marriage [chosen by God]; and there are eunuchs who have been made so by men [physical castration]; and there are eunuchs who have made themselves incapable of marriage for the sake of the kingdom of heaven [man’s own choosing, not physically being castrated but castrated in the spirit so the flesh would not be hindered, divided or distracted in serving the Lord]. Let him who is able to accept this accept it. (Matthew 19:10-12 AMP emphasis added by me in brackets yet not the one that is underlined).
Whether it be marriage or singleness, the Lord has made both to be so. His Word is clear. Marriage and singleness are equally glorious and have their place here on earth and for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let it be so, there will no longer be any confusion on the topic of marriage, singleness, celibacy, the special messenger Paul and God’s Word. Holy opinions that reveal themselves to be in hand and step with God should always be taken as direct wisdom from God.
The words you have now read are the Lord’s words. Not mine. Who am I to be given such wisdom. Who am I to have such knowledge. Who am I to gain such understanding. Who am I to reveal the mysteries of God’s revelation? I’m but a fool trapped in God’s grace. Praise His holy name forever! Amen.
— F. Lugo
3/4/15
3/4/15
No comments:
Post a Comment